What does #RPOD mean @dodgers?

If you’re not yet on Twitter, or you are but don’t follow @dodgers, today would be a good day to start.

Going forward, we will be posting a Random Photo of the Day there from the treasure trove of archived photos we have here at the Stadium. Some will be baseball photos (action and non), others will be from pre or postgame events, concerts or behind-the-scenes, never-before-seen candid photos that have been taken over the years with unprecedented access.

To organize it and make it easy to share, we’ll use the hashtag #RPOD (Random Photo of Day…not very creative, sorry). From what I can tell, that hashtag is only being used by someone speaking Russian (or perhaps it’s Greek…I can’t tell on my computer and unfortunately, I don’t speak either language). If you’ve got a cool #RPOD, feel free to share it and use the hashtag for fellow Dodger fans to see.

On occasion, these photos will be relevant like today’s first one, which features Fernando Valenzuela (he’s throwing out tonight’s first pitch against the Angels). It’s a candid shot taken in the early 1980s with the late Steve Howe, Jerry Reuss and Terry Forster.

These photos will come from the great Dodgers photographers over the years, from Herb Scharfman, Andrew Bernstein, Richard Kee, Mark Malone, Darryl Norenberg, Andy Castle and Art Foxall, to the last quarter century of Jon SooHoo and his talented colleagues, Juan Ocampo, Jill Weisleder, Larry Goren and Amber Matsumoto. Surely there are others who have contributed photos to our archives over the years, so hopefully you’ll enjoy their work.

This is typical Dodger arrogance. Come up with a lame, unimaginative name for a hash tag and start using it, even though it is clearly in use already. Then for a VP of Communications to claim ignorance and mistake Russian Cyrillic for Greek and blow it off because he doesn’t speak either language is unexcusable. You don’t have to be a genius to type in #RPOD and see multiple posts already using it with URLs that take you to a web site that is in Russian, but very clearly has a button in the upper left part of the page labeled “RUSSIAN PODCASTING”.
Why don’t you play by the rules (oh, I forgot, Frank is in charge and does not need to play by any rules) and find your own unique hash tag? Since #RPOD is lame, but already in use, why not just add a “D” for Dodgers and make it #RDPOD which is all yours for the taking? That way the Russians will be happy and the Dodger fans will be happy… well, the Russians will be happy.

Good stuff Kahli. Frank is to blame for the fiscal and image mess, Ned is responsible for the dung heap roster and subsequent poor play. When you put a turd(Nobatro, Badajass, Urine’, and Shams on the field, it is gonna stink. That’s what turds do. And Blake and Furcal are just older broken turds.

No Navarro, Thames, and Uribe. That’s a good start. Now if they would have just sat Blake and played Carroll at 2nd and Miles at 3rd, it would be about the best lineup you could come up with from Neds dung heap.

“Crenshaw High School product Trayvon Robinson, who is having a big season for the Dodgers’ Albuquerque Isotopes, will be a starter for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game.
Voting by the fans, managers and media members helped earn Robinson, a switch-hitting center fielder, a spot in the outfield for the July 13 game in Salt Lake City that pits the PCL and International League.

Robinson, a 10th round pick of the Dodgers in the 2005 first-year player draft, is having a breakout season with 20 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .307 batting average through 75 games. He had two home runs and five RBIs in Thursday’s 18-13 loss to Omaha.
This will be the third straight year Robinson has been selected to a mid-season all-star squad. The Los Angeles native played in the Double-A Southern League All-Star Game a year ago and was also named to the Single-A California League All-Star team in 2009.”

So, what’s up Dodger fans? I am not used to the time yet and waiting for the Dodger game to start this late. I totally empathize with those of you who have to stay up until midnight to watch a game on the west coast. I had a great time here in Minnesota, but I will be glad to be back in the pacific time zone. GO DODGERS!!!

LOL!! Probably the best lineup we’ve seen all year. Win or lose at least I think we’re going with the best players we have and it is more exciting than watching Urine’, Shams, and Nobatros’ tired acts.

Anyone read the little tidbit that part of the FOX deal was a 35% interest for Frank [alone] in Prime Ticket? That figured to be worth $60M or so in HIS pocket separate from the team and MLB revenue sharing. No wonder we wanted that deal so badly.
.F-U FRANK!!

@dodgers @insidethedodgers I guess my post went over like a #leadballoon. Sorry if I offended you. Just seems wrong to an existing #hashtag especially when the name is not that meaningful. I hope the #russians don’t mind. Actually, listening to a #rpod in Russian would make as much sense as a @fmccourt legal brief. I know @joshrawitch is a big #twitter fan, but not all of us here at #idt are that #unplugged.
Maybe, right now, some Russian is making a podcast complaining how @dodgers took over their #rpod #hashtag. Oh, just one more thing… #fyfm

I have a question: Is revenue sharing tied into attendance? Just wondering if attendance at the stadium goes down, particularly next year when season tickets will be at an all time low, would the league actually pay Frank?

I’m not sure how they determine who gets the money and how much. I think local TV and media money also helps determine who gets paid. So, with the lucrative TV money in the LA market, it is doubtful Frank will ever see any of that money. Hell, teams like the Pirates and Royals can damn near pay their entire player salary with the money the get from revenue sharing alone. The money is supposed to go back into the team and making it better.

Agreed. Damn good job from Kuroda! Up to the BP now.
BTW like your new gravatar Wally. I’ve seen ‘Marvin’ whizzing on alot of things over the years. Somehow it’s never seemed more appropriate then seeing it done to Frank!🙂

Frank would have to eat almost all of Uribe’s salary of the next two and a half years before anyone would even think of taking him for a bucket of balls and a rosin bag. The rosin bag could be a deal breaker.

I like that idea Trumom. If you want Kuroda, you’ve got to take Uribum. Actually, Kuroda would be a bargain at the end of July. He would only be owed 2.67M for August and Sept. Although he said he would have to be compensated to waive his no trade clause.

Hey with Schieffer not around as trustee, probably until at least the 20th, Frank could have a fire sale – no one around to stop him now. Not a bad idea actually, except that Ned’s well, you know, an idiot.

You’ve got to love Kuroda. He’ll stick up for our guys. If they do trade him, I like the above suggestion that one of these stiffs go with him. One of these teams in a race would go for that. And all their salary. We’re already paying too much for players that are gone. If they want him, and who wouldn’t, make them step up and pay.
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A good win for once. I’ve always felt a good team scores 5 and the pitching and defense is good enough to hold it.

Fair warning:
Any situation that puts Bud Selig on the stand under oath with unlimited questions about the workings of the “old boys baseball ownership club” is not destined for a good outcome. Wonder what kind of club Frank and Ned will put together for 2013 after the bankruptcy is resolved.

The Dodgers find themselves in an unusual situation at this point in the season: in last place, 10 games out and a feeling at least among many fans that there is little hope the team will improve play on the field enough to catch the division or wild card leaders. Management will not say but one has to believe it recognizes this dilema. So what to do about Furcal, Broxton, Barajas and left field as we move forward? I think most of us like Dee Gordon’s play in the field but clearly his offense is still a question mark. He has great speed but he has to get on base to use it. He still has minor league options and there is not much sense sitting him on the bench watching major league games when he could be playing every day at Triple A. My gut feeling says to keep Gordon at the major league level and try to move Furcal if anyone would take him but we will see. As for Broxton, thanks for the memories. I don’t care if he ever plays another game for the Dodgers unless he can pitch pain free and blow hitters away as he did prior to whatever caused the meltdown that began midway last season. Now to Barajas: since he was catching most of the time before his injury it probably makes sense to move him back into the starting position, leaving Navarro and Ellis as back-ups. I don’t think either one of these guys is very good but I would probably stick with Ellis just because he is younger and still could improve. Clearly the Dodgers are weak at this position no matter what. Left field? The idea that Thames or any of the other free agents Ned signed this year will provide power has pretty much proven to be a failure. Besides Kemp, this team does not have much power anyway so I woul just let Gwynn play left and hope he can do enough offensively to utilize his speed. Play small ball and hope the pitchers can prevent the opposition from scoring and maybe the Dodgers have a chance to win some games.

Just a note – Navarro is actually three years younger than Ellis. Ellis is 30 and has probably reached the zenith of his career being a back-up.
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Given the dirth of FA catchers after this season, I’d be very tempted to find a team that would trade a real ML catcher for Andre. Given Sands, Kemp and Robinson, someone’s got to be the odd man out and Andre’s the logical choice be it for a real catcher or a bunch of prospects. Loney would go also, again for prospects as would Kuroda, Lilly, Uribe, Carroll, Blake, Miles and any other PVL someone would have. I’d play all the kids in order to evaluate our biggest needs heading into next year.
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Ah, but we’ll lose a bunch of games the rest of this year. (1) we’re going to anyway and, (2) attendance will be nothing regardless if you play the PVLs, rookies, and win or lose. To me totally rebuilding is the only way to proceed with this mess of Frank & Furters.

E, I sit corrected on Navarro’s age. Of course, the age factor does not change much. Tru, I would hate to lose Andre and this is just talk among fans but Enchanted’s idea makes sense since most of us don’t think he will stay when he can become a free agent and the Dodgers still control him until then. Kemp is clearly the better all around player so I would do anything to keep him. The Dodgers traditionally have usually been pretty good at catcher and most of that talent has come up through the farm system. Maybe there is a catching prospect out there the Dodgers could steal from another team.

So, the lineup DilDon put out against the righty last night actually produced. Should have produced much more but did score 5 runs and with the great pitching was plenty. So today, against another righty, why not run that same lineup out there. Makes sense to me.
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I’ll take bets that DilDon won’t see it that way however. The line up sans Urine’, Nobatro, and Shams was one of the better ones we have seen this entir year and perhaps the best that can be assembled from the dung that Ned has given Dildon to work with. That being said, I have a sickening feeling we will see at least 2 of the 3 unworthy trio in the lineup today. Donny is a JoJo dildo.
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On Beavs’ earlier note: I would also entertain trade offers for Ethier. It would have to be a great offer where the Dodgers are clearly winners however. With Ned, the problem is, the Dodgers will get fleeced big time. Kuroda actually has some value and a real GM could probably get a good return for him. Key words, REAL GM. We don’t have one. Ned is an out of his league imposter. As for the rest of his dung heap(Blake, Fecal, Loney, Barajass, Nobatro, Urine’, Thames, Lilly, etc.., I would love tho unload as many as possible. Trouble is, they aren’t worth shit and no one is interested.

Yep Trumom, but credit where credit is due. Ned really knows his shit. And, he really has gotten his shit together over the last 7 years. When Ned acquires a piece of shit, it is usually among the shittiest of the lot. Our boy Neddy doesn’t dabble in mediocre shit.

Well, no Urine’ and Shams. Pretty much the same except for Nobatro. Maybe Dildon is getting a clue. I’d still rather see Ellis instead of Nobatro. Doesn’t make sense to me to. Ellis has an OBP of .410 and Nobatros’ is .229.

So, all kidding aside (and I know that is difficult), why do you think Ned operates the way he does? Don’t tell me he is just plain stupid. I do believe he clearly favors players with some sort of track record (meaning major league experience and they are still breathing) over unproven talent or “potential”, and judging by the ability of players who have worn out their welcome in L.A. to get signed by other teams, many other G.M.’s feel the same way. He obviously has some budget restraints but he still seems to spend a lot of money with limited returns. He often has signed a veteran and paid that player more than he would have to pay a rookie. Sometimes I get the impression he is just hoping that if he signs enough players (sort of like throwing darts at a baloon) he will hit a winner now and then. What makes this guy tick?

well he was an assistant GM i believe when he was in Frisco and they did trot out the oldest lineup known to man on a daily basis..He had to of learned it from there. Miles was a good signing this year..

This is what gets me with the media regarding Ned. They love to bring up the Ned scrap heap successes like that’s all he picks. Truth is, he signs more shit than anyone else alive. Law of averages being what they are, of course he has a success every once in while like Miles. The media conveniently forgets all the Thames and Uribes and Andersons in between.
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As for money, Ned spent: Manny $45M. Jones $36.2M. Pierre $44M. Schmidt $47M. Uribe $21M. Nomar II $18M. Mueller $9M. Lilly $33M. Guerrier $12M. That’s $265.2M just for this illustrious bunch. Add in a few extra million every year for the Barajas’, Thames’ and Gwynn’s of the world each and every season (which I’d estimate at $10M to $12M per year (X5 years) and that brings us to $ 325M ish for some of the worst ballplayers to ever don a Dodgers uniform. I’d say he’s easily spent over half a billion dollars total since he’s been here. So say what you will about Frank, decent money’s been there, enough so that GMs for 18 other clubs would dearly love to have it to use for their clubs. Only reasonable conclusion I can arrive at is that the man clearly does not know talent, nor how to evaluate it.
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As far as why, I’ve two theories. 1. He learned his “craft” from Sabean at a time when the Giants were nothing but a bunch of crap and Barry Bonds. Bonds hid a multitude of sins and shortcomings the rest of the team had. Ned learned to buy cheap and watch Bonds’ bat cover for them. Trouble was, Ned didn’t have a Barry Bonds here to hide behind. 2. Ned is strictly a CYA kinda guy. He keeps his job by bringing in a “name” now and then (albeit worthless and hasbeen as they may be), and enough PVLs to keep the team “competitive.” That’s why he likes known commoditites over youth, and unless the youth wow everybody from day one, they’re more for trade fodder (for more of Ned’s “comfort zone” type of player) than actual pieces for the team.
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He’s got no more true baseball sense than Frank does. Put them together and its like the blind leading the stupid.
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Well you asked!!🙂

But North, he spent $100M on this years team. That was good enough for 12th out of the 30 teams. That means there are at least 18 teams spending less. Now let’s look at where they are as a team – what 4th worst or so? That would mean that 25 other teams are better. Without looking at who spent what, [conceptually] it would figure that 12-13 teams that spent less (and some significantly less) have better teams. That’s all on Ned.
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Can they sign elite talent because of Frank?, no way. But if we consider Kemp, Kersh and Dre as elite talent already controlled by the team, then Ned has failed miserably surrounding them with viable ML talent. How can a guy spend $265M on 9 guys and all he has to show for it is Uribe, Lilly and Guerrier? And that’s only because they signed ths past offseason. He has nothing to show for it from prior years, and we’re only talking about 5 years time. Surely you could throw baseballs in the stands at people and hit better ballplayers than Ned acquired.

lbirk, Colletti, as I’m sure we all know, was a media relations/PR guy for both the Cubs and Gnats prior to becoming Assistant GM for both clubs. Which means two things, to me, anyway. He’s 1) NOT an intuitive career “baseball” guy…and 2) he learned his trade under two teams who hadn’t won diddly squat since 1954 (Gnats) and 1908 (Cubs). Furthermore, you’d think a guy with a PR background wouldn’t run his mouth to the press like he does. All in all, a magnificent hire by Frank, complete with Ned’s Gnat pedigree. I have a sneaking suspicion that Ned came cheap. I would also argue that the Dodgers’ two great rivals on this planet are the Gnats and Yankees. Frank? He gives us Ned, JoJo and then Donnie Baseball at the top of the baseball operations ladder…somewhat of a “treasonous” way to craft the helm of the once-storied Los Angeles Dodgers.

Congrats to Matt & Kersh on making the roster. Too many Giant pitchers on the staff if you ask me. Well, I guess it’s Bochy’s baby, win or lose.
I’ve done my part to get Andre in on the last ballot. I lost count on how many times I voted. Hope Billz gets a win on the rubber game tonight.

The reason I sign the PVl crap that I do is because that was Frankrupts plan from the beginning, that is sign guys that will just make the team somewhat competitive so the suckers, err fans keep putting money in bosses pockets. That and I’m too busy trimming my stache to be concerned with acquiring real talent.

I guess Donny had no chance to let Furcal DH because of Gordon mess up big time just hope Furcal doesn’t get hurt. I’ve been waiting for Furcal to bat 2nd even when Pierre was here. On PS2 I have MLB 2007 the show and Pierre and Furcal were batting 1 and 2.

Britton the pitcher for the Orioles and I love seeing AL pitchers homer off of NL pitchers. They should ban the DH or used it in both leagues. I guess Britton don’t want to leave NL park because he’s 5/8 and 2/3 today with a homerun.

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One of the announcers’ dream jobs is to manage the Dodgers. The Manager we should have had is in the other dugout. And the other announcer wants to own the team.

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And those LA Angels throwbacks are sweet. I like the halos on the hats, a nice touch. Just sad that the Dodgers didn’t break out the Brooklyn jerseys as Bill Shaikin announced in the Times earlier in the week. This would’ve been the best chance to see the “satin” jerseys at night(ish) as they were originally intended.

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Anyone who says fans are losing their adoration of the Dodgers is missing the point: it’s because fans adore the Dodgers THAT they’re staying away.

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But if I lived in LA, i’d be StubHubbin’, and hoofing it to the stadium from Elyssian Park after a bag lunch. Insanely cheap, and wouldn’t be adding to attendance since those StubHub tix are already “paid” before they’re put up for sale.

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The stadium would be all yours. Eerie if you think about it, like that scene in “The Omega Man”

“It’s not just Dodger greats Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey who are investigating a possible ownership bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, if the team is ever put up for sale.
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“Several other legendary Dodger figures and celebrities are also part of the still-forming ownership group, though they are not ready to publicly come forward until the team is in fact for sale.
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“I think the goal long term is not to stop with myself or Garvey,” Hershiser told ESPNLosAngeles.com after the Angels 3-1 win over the Dodgers Sunday night in Anaheim.
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“I think the goal long term is to convince the people that are alongside us that this is to build Dodger tradition and regain the trust of the fans. And of course any significant Dodger names we would love to reach out to.”
.http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6736579

Yeah shad, if the Kings can just catch a break and keep their main guys healthy for a change, they’ve got a chance to make some noise this season.
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ESPNLA.com asked for stories from Dodger fans about how they became fans and how all the garbage going on with the owner has affected them. They’ve started printing selected stories and they say there’s still time to get yours in:
.http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=6735530

As the boys head home again, I realized I never posted the attendance figures for the last home game. The Angel fans buying tickets screwed up our boycott a little. Let’s hope the Mets fans behave themselves.
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Anyone going to the party Saturday? I just might, although it will mean giving up 8 hours of overtime for me. Lord knows I could use the money, but it might be fun to be here: http://www.thelfp.com/blog/2011/06/mccourt-protest-792011/
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Game 43 attendance (2010): 43,640
Today’s attendance courtesy of trumom: 43,104
Greater than last year = 6 / Less than last year = 36
2nd straight game of negative attendance
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Games less than 30,000 this season – 6
Games less than 30,000 in 2005 – 2010: none
Last game was 9/14/2004 – 29,704
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Lowest attended game of the year: Game 8 – 27,439
Largest single game drop: Game 18 (55,662 – 28,419 = 27,243)
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2010 attendance (43 games) – 1,923,706 (44,737 average)
2011 attendance (43 games) – 1,551,623 (36,084 average) #10 in MLB
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Drop of 372,083 total
Average drop of 8653
Extrapolated for 81 games – 700,901
Projected 2011 final attendance – 2,922,825
2010’s final attendance – 3,562,318 (#3 in MLB)
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Next game’s (44) attendance in 2010 – 43,790

Considering Furcal’s injury-plagued tenure with the Dodgers, it could be a day, a week or a month until he goes down with another injury.

The other consideration, which the Dodgers don’t want to admit publicly, is showcasing to contending teams over the next month what a healthy and productive Furcal can do for their lineup. Trading Furcal, who will be a free agent when the year ends, would open a spot for Gordon on the roster again.

Some of the teams who could use an upgrade at shortstop are the Brewers, Reds, Mariners, Nationals, Rays and the Giants.

Yes, the Giants. They need a shortstop more than any team in baseball.

The Giants traded pinch-hitting specialist Mark Sweeney to the Dodgers in 2007 for a minor-leaguer. But the longtime rivals haven’t made a significant trade since Dec. 11, 1985, when the Dodgers sent Candy Maldonado to the Giants for Alex Trevino.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is obviously very close to Giants GM Brian Sabean, his mentor and former boss. Perhaps they’re too close or there’s too much history between the storied rivals to make a deal.

Both executives would be so concerned with making sure they get the better of a trade, it’s hard to imagine they agree on the players. Even if it was a trade that “helped both teams,” it would drive Dodgers fans crazy if Furcal helped deliver the Giants another world championship.

But that’s a discussion that can wait for another three weeks. Colletti doesn’t want to sell at the trading deadline. He wants to be a buyer.

Besides, it all depends on Furcal’s ability to stay healthy—and that’s been a struggle the last four years.

• CF Matt Kemp(notes) hadn’t heard from Prince Fielder(notes), who’s the captain of the National League home-run hitting team, about possibly participating in the All-Star Workout Showcase. If asked, Kemp would be very excited and isn’t worried about the competition messing up his swing. Kemp was selected for his first All-Star game Sunday, overtaking St. Louis’ Matt Holliday(notes) in the fan vote late to claim the final starting outfield spot.

• LHP Clayton Kershaw(notes) felt getting selected by his peers into the All-Star Game made it more special. Kershaw will start against the Mets on Thursday, so he’d be working on four days rest in the Midsummer Classic and is hopeful of getting to throw at least an inning. He wouldn’t list any specific names, but he’s hoping to face a few of the left-handed power hitters on the American League roster.

• RF Andre Ethier(notes) grew up just a few minutes from Chase Field in Phoenix, and admitted it would be extra special for him to get selected for the All-Star Game. Ethier is one of five players on the final internet vote. Ethier was happy to learn that Matt Kemp was going to tell his 15,000-plus followers on Twitter (@therealmattkemp) to vote for him

Gordon may rank high in the prospect handicap, but he didn’t show me much except his speed when he was up here. How many prospects have we brought up with high expectations only to realize what a difference there is between the majors and AAA. If he is to develop, Gordon needs a lot of playing time. One thing we know is that the Dodgers seem very poor in developing anybody at the major league level – the prospect either needs to really have it all together, or he’s going to flounder. That’s particularly true of pitchers, if your remember Ely and a couple of relievers. I’m only hoping that we didn’t advance De LaRosa too soon, because Honeycutt is a real shit of a pitching coach. Gordon will be back with a better chance to succeed later on. Velez? He’s probably just another stopgap guy passing through; probably fits in real well with some of the other stiffs in the lineup. Wasn’t he a Giant too? What else is there to say?

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